- Date
- November 20, 2014, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- St. Petersburg, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N6004SCessna T182T
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) start-up: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 12, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20141120022049A
- Case key
- 90415
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to properly set the throttle prior to engine start, which resulted in a loss of control and collision with a hangar.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot had planned to depart on a local solo flight. He completed a preflight inspection of the airplane, which was parked outside of the pilot's hangar and pointed towards a set of hangars about 50 feet away. The pilot then primed the cylinders of the 335-horsepower engine with the throttle in the full open position, but forgot to retard the throttle to a one quarter position before starting the engine. When the engine started the airplane "leaped forward." The pilot quickly applied brakes, but the airplane accelerated across the taxiway and struck the opposing hangar and a parked airplane, which resulted in substantial damage to left wing. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that could have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot had planned to depart on a local solo flight. He completed a preflight inspection of the airplane, which was parked outside of the pilot's hangar and pointed towards a set of hangars about 50 feet away. The pilot then primed the cylinders of the 335-horsepower engine with the throttle in the full open position, but forgot to retard the throttle to a one quarter position before starting the engine. When the engine started the airplane "leaped forward." The pilot quickly applied brakes, but the airplane accelerated across the taxiway and struck the opposing hangar and a parked airplane, which resulted in substantial damage to left wing. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that could have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6004S
- Reported as
- Cessna T182T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T18208508
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 1,090
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-AK1A, 335 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Fortune Gilbert S
- Registered owner
- Fortune Gilbert S
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 4, 2014 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- SPG · St Petersburg, FL
- Destination
- SPG · St. Petersburg, FL
- Airport
- SPG · Albert Whitted
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 91
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Waiver time limited special
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 1,200 in this make and model · 5,000 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- SPG
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 30, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.